Good Night Moon
by DeliriousMess
Summary: Stories are one of the most unifying things for people. And for a woman who's whole life is a patchwork of other people's memories, a story can help to find one of the only true things about herself. Set in Season 3, Audrey overhears Claire reading a story to a niece and hearing it brings back more memories she didn't know she had.


Staying late at the police station isn't a novelty for Audrey. If anything, it's routine. But tonight she isn't staying as late as she usually does (the time on the clock is even still in the double digits), and while that feels incredibly foreign to her, it's also a gift horse that she has no intention of looking in the mouth.

The night shift officers nod at her as she walks through the bull pen, purposefully rubbing her neck and the knot that seemed to always be there, and sighs. She glances absently down the hall towards Claire's office and stops. The light is still on. If Claire had just absently left it on when she'd left, that would be one thing, but if the shadow that passes over the door window is any indication, Claire's still there.

Which is very unlike her.

Audrey walks to the door, stopping before she opens it, and turns her head so that her right ear can listen for any sound coming from it.

Claire is talking, but Audrey can't hear another person, so she assumes she's on the phone.

"Hi sweetie," Claire says quietly, "You all comfy?"

Audrey furrows her brow at that–it sounds like Claire is speaking to a child, but as far as Audrey knows, she doesn't have a child. A niece maybe? Or nephew?

"Alright," Claire says, accompanied by the groan of her office chair (a sound Audrey had gotten very used to during their sessions when Audrey stonewalls her), " _Goodnight Moon_ by Margaret Wise Brown."

Audrey could leave now, could go home and get a normal and decent night's sleep, but something about Claire's voice makes her stay. Maybe it's just because Claire has a nice reading voice. Maybe it's because in all her memories as Audrey Parker, she's never had anyone read _to_ her before. Maybe it's a lot of things. But what is certain, what is solid and definitive, is that Audrey is now sitting down on the floor of the precinct with her back against the door, and her head turned against it so she can listen for a little while longer.

" _In the great green room, there was a telephone and a red balloon…_ "

Audrey's eyes slide closed faster than she will ever be willing to admit, and Claire's voice follows her into her dreams.

And a picture of the cow jumping over the moon, and there were three little bears sitting on chairs…

There's a baby in a blue blanket being passed from her arms into the arms of another woman with a copy of the book tucked into the folds of the blanket. It is not what she wants, it is nothing but a book, but it is all she can do–all she can give him to let him know he is loved and not alone. There is an aching in her heart that she can't place or understand in her waking mind that is watching this happen. She doesn't want to watch this anymore, she doesn't want to see this again.

 _…And a quiet old lady who was whispering "hush." Goodnight room. Goodnight moon…_

She is walking on a beach with the Colorado Kid. The moon is high and he is telling her about the only book he would read as a child.

"It was from my mother," he is saying, looking at the moon before looking back down.

" _Goodnight cow jumping over the moon._ " He's reciting softly, smiling fondly at the sand and their matched footsteps. His and Claire's voices blend together, and it hurts–why do her dreams always hurt? " _Goodnight light, and the red balloon…_ "

 _…Goodnight clocks, and goodnight socks. Goodnight little house, and goodnight mouse…_

She's huddled with four other kids in the basement of one of the foster homes she was sent to. She's ten or twelve, the oldest, and one of the only ones who can read. The book is battered and worn, the binding glue is peeling away and the pages are warped from water damage, but she can still read it. She'd "borrowed" a flashlight from upstairs three days ago, and has been using it as a nightlight for the younger kids who are still scared of the dark and the things that come for them in it. One of the kids touches her arm–an unspoken question, a desperate request, an understanding–and she lifts her arm to wrap around her shoulders and pull her against her side.

" _Goodnight nobody. Goodnight mush. And goodnight to the old lady whispering "hush"…_ "

There is a rustling on the other side of the phone. Claire waits until it settles and asks quietly, "Is she asleep?"

Her brother sighs gratefully on the other side of the line, "Yes, finally. Thank you, Claire. I didn't know what else to do."

Claire smiles, "You're just lucky that I have that story memorized."

Her brother laughs, "Don't I know it."

There's a pause for a moment, before her brother continues, "Thank you, Claire. Sincerely."

"Any time." She answers easily, "Now you go get some rest. There may be a time difference but it's still late."

"Yeah. G'night, sis," he yawns.

"G'night, bro," she replies, and clicks the phone to end the call. She rubs her face with her hands for a moment, before running her fingers through her hair to move it out of her face. She surveys her desk for a moment, debating how much more work she could get done before it gets to be unreasonably late before sighing at herself; she's not doing anything else tonight. She stands, grabbing her coat and putting a few files into her bag, and opens the door, only to have Audrey fall back and onto the floor.

"Fuck!" Audrey exclaims as she falls back.

Claire steps quickly back and out of the way as she falls, "Wha–?! Audrey! What are you doing?"

Audrey rubs the back of her head as she sits back up to grab her coat, and scramble to her feet in an attempt to save her dignity, "What? Nothing! I was just–"

Claire's expression makes Audrey stop and sigh–she knows when she's been caught in a lie, "Just…listening to you read _Goodnight Moon._ "

Claire's eyebrows shoot up in surprise, "Any particular reason?"

Audrey shakes her head, staring at her feet and tucking a stray strand of hair back behind her ear, "No. Not really. I noticed you were still here and I thought that was weird so I came to make sure everything was okay and then…"

Audrey lets the thought end there. Claire looks her over for a moment before turning to close and lock her office door. She smiles at Audrey, "Now would be when I offered to go with you to get a cup of coffee, but we both need sleep. So, _Goodnight stars, goodnight air_ …"

" _Good night noises everywhere._ " Audrey finishes for her.

Claire smiles at her, "Goodnight Audrey."

As Claire turns and heads out of the precinct, Audrey calls after her, "Goodnight Claire."


End file.
